


An Eye for an Eye

by shnuffeluv



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Blind Character, Captivity, Evil Deceit Sanders, Gen, Minor Violence, Storms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 12:44:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18476497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/shnuffeluv
Summary: Logan and Roman inadvertantly go on an adventure while looking for their missing friends.





	1. Chapter 1

Logan didn't mind the Clearsummer Islands. Not at all. In fact, most of the people on Starcluster Islands had no problems whatsoever with Clearsummer. Logan had informed them to stay out of any fights with other countries, so they did. The main problem he had with the Clearsummer Islands, was their obnoxious National Animal, Roman.

Currently, King Thomas the Second of Clearsummer Islands was talking with President Terrence of Starcluster Islands, and that meant that Logan had to hear Roman talk. And talk. And  _talk_. "...And I just think it would be interesting to see, you know, with everyone running around as I terrorized the city with my handsome good looks...are you even listening to me?!" Roman asked.

"As much as it pains me, yes," Logan said, resting his head on his paws.

"You aren't even looking at me!" Roman exclaimed, patronized.

"I'm  _blind_ , Roman," Logan snapped.

"Oh, right," Roman said, as if he had completely forgotten this fact.

Logan's ears twitched in annoyance. He couldn't wait for King Thomas and President Terrence's talk to be over. His paws rested on the cool tile beneath his feet, and his tail twitched back and forth. He could hear the humans talking, pacing the floor in the next room over, until he heard those fateful words he had been waiting to hear since the meeting had started. "So, it's settled then?" King Thomas asked.

"Yeah, I think this is the best idea for all of us," President Terrence said.

The two walked up to the door and it creaked open. Logan stood from where he had been resting and tilted his head in the general direction where Roman's voice had been coming from. "See you at a later date, Roman," he said, trying to keep the relief out of his voice.

Roman scoffed. "You may as well say out loud how much I bother you at that rate," he grumbled.

"There was nothing wrong about the facts of my statement," Logan said coolly.

"Yeah, but you didn't even bother saying 'It's good to see you,' or 'I'll miss you, Roman,' or anything else!"

Logan would have rolled his eyes if it had any effect at all on his situation. "Well, it wasn't, and I won't. You never stop talking and it's infuriating. The fact that I will have a few hours of silence is a small mercy."

Roman huffed. "Well, then! I suppose I won't miss you either!"

Thomas tapped the floor and Logan lifted his head. "Come on, Logan, you're coming with me," he said.

Logan stood, grooming himself ever so slightly. He followed the sounds of Thomas' footsteps, and was surprised when he found himself following Thomas outside. Usually Thomas didn't see his guests out. But he didn't want Thomas to carry him wherever they were going, which he knew full well would happen if he refused to move.

They continued to walk for a while, all the way to the nearest dock, which made Logan's stomach sink. If they were heading to the dock, that could only mean...

"Oh-ho!" Roman crowed. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer, Logan! We're boarding the same ship!"

Logan bit back a groan and followed Thomas where he walked, until Thomas picked him up and carried him onto the ship, before setting him down and petting his head. "There you go, Logan. We're gonna go on a little adventure, okay?"

Scoffing, Logan curled up on the ship's deck and sulked. Any day around Roman was a trip. Sending him on "a little adventure" after the torture of listening to Roman yammer for two hours was just animal cruelty, plain and simple. At least the sun was warm on his back. He could pretend to be sleeping and laze around in the sun, and then maybe Roman would leave him alone.

Roman padded over to him and said, "I'll be below deck if you need me," before wandering off, and Logan sighed in relief. At least he wouldn't have to deal with Roman for a bit. He closed his eyes and rested on his paws. Between the sun, and the gentle sound of waves, Logan was asleep before he was aware of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chaos. Logan awoke to chaos and choppy seas, and he didn't like it one bit. He stood on wobbly legs, listening closely to whatever was going on. He could hear sailors shouting and running around, no doubt trying to steady the ship. The feeling of the sun was gone from Logan's back, and he could feel rain starting to pelt his fur. He shook his head hard. He had to get to shelter. What kind of ship was this? He could get below deck if only he knew what kind of ship it was and where he was on it.

"Logan!" a familiar voice shouted.

"Roman?" Logan asked. "Where are you?!"

"Ten feet to your left! We have to get below deck, fast! Come on!"

Logan followed Roman's voice and together they made it down the steps and out of the rain. Logan shook himself free of excess water and Roman followed suit. The ship pitched underneath their feet, and Logan was having a difficult time making his way around the cabin. He was blind from birth, so he had no idea what the cabin would look like, aside from where walls were. That left furniture, people, and doors as unknown variables. "Where is King Thomas? I need to make sure he's all right," Logan said.

"He was by the bathroom, last I checked," Roman replied. "Follow me."

Logan did as told and was relieved when he could hear Thomas. While the sounds of gagging were unpleasant, it meant his human was still alive and mostly well. He walked over to where Thomas was and purred as he bumped into one of Thomas' legs. "Hey, buddy," Thomas said in between coughs. "Glad to see you got off the top deck, things are pretty messy out there."

That was the understatement of the century, but Logan just bumped against Thomas again and purred more. He needed to offer support, to give reassurance. Even if Thomas was sick temporarily, he would get better when the weather did, and then it was essential for them to do whatever they had come onto this boat to do and leave as soon as possible, to avoid any more misfortune, and any more of Roman's rambling.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Thomas asked him.

Logan moved so that he could feel Thomas' hand and licked it gently. He would be fine. The main issue was if Thomas would be all right. "Roman, are you there?" he asked.

"Yeah," Roman said. "I'm keeping an eye on Terrence from here, but I want to be by you in case you need any more guiding. I know this is unfamiliar territory for you."

"I would know where and how to move if I knew what model ship this was," Logan said. "I've been on enough of them that I know the layout of most every ship King Thomas has in his fleet."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there, I know almost nothing about ships," Roman said. "Is it all right if I go and check on Terrence now, briefly?"

"Thomas knows how to lead me, you don't need to stay around any longer. Thank you for assisting me," Logan said.

"No need to be so formal, Logan. I like to think that we're well-known acquaintances, if not friends." Roman started to move, judging by how his voice faded as he said, "I don't want to see you end up dead."

Logan was perplexed. He had never had someone outside Thomas call him a friend before. What was he supposed to do with this information? He had no idea. He just hoped that wherever they ended up, it was somewhere that Logan could think.

Thomas gagged again and Logan licked the back of his hand to show his support. He didn't feel queasy himself, but he knew that the boat was pitching enough that it could make certain humans susceptible to losing their lunches. Thomas usually wasn't one of those people, but then again, these weren't usual circumstances, were they? They were on a boat, with Roman and President Terrence, heading who-knows-where in terrible weather that Logan really didn't want to brave, but didn't have much of a choice. He sat down and Thomas scratched behind his ears. "It'll all be okay, Logan," he breathed. "We'll be just fine as soon as this storm clears up."

Logan hoped that was true. He was about to call for Roman and ask if he could find out what was going on when there was a tremendous crash and the boat stopped rocking.


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, at least we found out where all the missing sailors went," Thomas sighed.

"It would be nice if we could have avoided being stranded with them," President Terrence pointed out.

"True," Thomas sighed.

Logan sat next to Roman and tilted his head to the side. "What are the odds of someone coming here and rescuing us, do you think?" he asked.

"Well, they'll be missing King Thomas and President Terrence when they don't make it back within the week," Roman said. "But that's a whole week that we're stuck here."

Logan grumbled. The storm had finally let up, and they had discovered why the crash had occurred: they had gotten beached on rocks, in the middle of islands uninhabited by humans. Or at least, uninhabited by humans who weren't castaways. Perhaps it would be better to say that the islands weren't inhabited by a civilization. The humans were happy to have discovered the missing sailors, and were making plans to maybe make rafts and stock up on food, and see if they could come across boats that could take them home. Logan didn't concern himself with such things. Thomas would drag him wherever he pleased whenever they were going to leave. Until then, Logan was going to take this time to relax, maybe catch up on rest or get some exercise, if he could get someone to be his eyes.

It was strange how they had gotten here, however. According to the humans, the storm almost appeared out of nowhere, and disappeared just as quickly once they had crashed, as if there was a curse in the air. Logan hoped that there weren't any curses at play, but then he didn't believe in luck, so why else would all the boats and ships crash here, on this specific island?

The thought made him uncomfortable, and he stood up, beginning to pace. "I don't like this," he informed Roman. "This is too suspicious. I don't believe in luck. Why did everyone land here?"

"Could be magic," Roman offered. "I know of a few witches who would like to see Terrence and King Thomas dead."

"That's not helpful!" Logan exclaimed, turning towards Roman's voice. "If King Thomas is dead, why would anyone come and rescue us?!"

"I see your point," Roman said. "Apologies."

"Accepted," Logan said, shaking his head. "Are there any bushes around here?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, about fifteen feet behind us. Why?" Roman asked.

"I need to use the bathroom," Logan said stiffly, quickly turning and heading in that direction. "I'll be back!" he called. "Save some food for me if you can find some!"

"Sure thing!" Roman called back, his voice fainter, which was somewhat of a relief to Logan.

He felt his way around the grass, looking for a clump of bushes. The odds were small of someone caring where he went to the bathroom, but he didn't like to do it where people were watching. So he felt around, sniffing as well to make sure he wasn't about to step in anything, until he found a small cluster of bushes. Relief flooded him and he quickly dashed in them to do his business.

Of course, he heard someone approaching by the rustle of grass just as he was about finished, and he turned toward the source of sound, asking, "Roman? Is that you?"

He didn't get a reply, and he frowned, walking out of the bushes and listening closer. "Roman, this isn't funny. Come on, tell me where you are?"

There was a sound from behind him before in a flash, something was wrapped around his muzzle. He desperately tried to squirm away, but something bit him in the neck and he staggered as the feeling left. He tried to call for help, but words wouldn't leave his throat. He staggered more, feeling something wrapping around his torso. It didn't feel like anything he had felt before, at least not in years. It wasn't furry, but it wasn't exactly smooth. It had a lot of smaller bumps. A pure strain of panic ran through him as he realized that what he was feeling were  _scales_ , before everything in his brain shut down.


	4. Chapter 4

The next thing Logan was aware of, was hard rock beneath him. He knew it had to be rock and not anything else, because it was too bumpy to be flooring like at the mansion, or even any of the houses he had visited. It definitely didn't feel like carpet. It was cold, and there was no texture that resembled grass or sand or anything that he had felt on the island. He couldn't feel the sun, so either it was at night, or something was blocking on it. He could hear the  _drip, drip, drip_ of water in the distance. So, a cave. Why would he be in a cave?

Everything came rushing back. The meeting. The boat. The crash. The bathroom. The scales.

_Well, crap._

Logan didn't know what to do. This was way out of his comfort zone, but he had to think of something, and fast. If he was in a cave somewhere waiting to be some snake's lunch, he should get out and yowl until Thomas found him. The question was, which way was out? Was the snake around? And...could he even get up with his limbs feeling so heavy?

There was a chuckle from nearby and Logan's blood ran cold. He recognized that laugh, from years and years ago. "Hello, my darling Logan. Do you remember me?"

Logan opened his mouth and managed to choke out the name, "Delta."

"Oh, good. I was worried for a second that you wouldn't recall my voice," the snake purred. "I've been waiting to get to see you for a very long time, my dear. I starting to worry that you wouldn't be coming."

"Well, I've been known to leave guests lacking in manners waiting before," Logan replied stiffly.

Delta chuckled. "That's the beauty of this, my dear. Now,  _you_  are  _my_  guest. And I'm going to relish every minute of it."

Logan struggled to stand before he felt that same dry, scaly feeling as before wrap around him and shift his center of gravity until he couldn't hold himself up. "No no no, my dear, don't bother getting up," Delta said. "I'll take you wherever you need to go."

"You're..." Logan gasped. He had forgotten that Delta was known for squeezing the life out of his enemies given half the chance, and now he was left gasping for breath. "You're supposed to be dead."

The snake laughed, and Logan could swear he almost heard Delta's jaw unhinge during the action. "Oh, dear, you didn't really believe that, did you? Understand, when your precious King declared war on my Empress, the actual war itself may have been gruesome, but both sides wanted to minimize the deaths as much as possible. Most of my people were taken to the other kingdoms, learned how to behave in them, and barely remember their time under my Empress, if they do at all. And myself? I was left behind when the Empress stepped down and surrendered." Delta's voice grew cold, hard, and deadly as he continued. "All of us were. We were, understandably, upset. But when these islands were no longer inhabited by humans, we were able to hatch a scheme to exact our revenge. And you, my darling Logan, are going to be used as an example."

"How, exactly, will I be used as an example?" Logan asked.

"Now, now. I can't reveal  _everything_  to you right this second, that kills the suspense of the show! You shall see soon enough."

Delta released his grip on Logan and Logan coughed, sucking precious air into his lungs. Delta slithered away, and Logan rested his head on his paws, tail flicking. The cave he was in made every sound echo. He didn't know if Delta was moving further into the cave or outward. It was certainly warm enough in the cave that he shouldn't have problems without access to sunlight. But that, at this point, was the least of his worries. If Delta's... _friends_  were nearby, then he was in grave danger indeed. He couldn't even keep an ear out, because he couldn't tell what was nearby and what was far away. He bit back a whimper and forced a brave face. He would get through this. He  _had_  to.


	5. Chapter 5

There were claws everywhere. Logan was holding himself as still as possible, but he could hear the whispers. "Did you hear Delta? He said that this fool is from the Starcluster Islands! Hehehehe!" one said.

"Ooh, we'll make a pretty picture for King Thomas and make him regret  _ever_  declaring war on our Empress!" another added. "Our maiden, the Dragon Witch, shall rise from the ashes and become ruler of the entire world!"

Logan's blood was running cold. The more he heard, the more he was disturbed. They talked about declawing him, about taking out his ears as well as his eyes, about letting Delta sink enough venom into him that he would fall asleep and not wake for months, if he woke at all. He couldn't help the occasional shiver through his body.

"Oh, is the poor thing dreaming, do you think? No doubt trying to catch prey in his cushy garden," the first sneered.

A voice he didn't recognize said, "Enough playing with him. I say we do something about him right this second."

"Delta told us to wait, so we wait," the second said firmly. "As long as Logan is a good guest, we aren't to harm him. The second he steps out of line, and he  _will_  step out of line, he's ours."

It took everything that Logan had in him to not screw his eyes shut tighter at that. His chest was growing tight and he wanted nothing more than to run out of here. But he couldn't move, couldn't alert the voices to the fact that he was awake. He focused on the water dripping in the cave rather than their voices. Focused on the steady drip. Didn't focus on the sound of leather wings,or the phantom sensation of claws stroking his back. Forced himself to keep his cool for as long as he could. If he showed that this was scaring him, then Delta would win. And that couldn't happen.

"Hey, rise and shine, sleepy head!" Delta called, slithering over.

_Speak of the devil, and he shall come,_  Logan thought sourly. He forced himself to a standing position and tilted his head in the direction he thought Delta's voice was coming from. "What is it?" he asked.

"I've decided to set up a challenge for you, just to make this interesting," Delta said sweetly. "After all, sedating you with my venom and forcing you to come with me might have been a little heavy-handed. And I want to give you a fighting chance. So here's what's going to happen. Follow me?"

Logan followed Delta's voice against his better judgement, but he felt the sun on his fur when Delta stopped.

"You want to get back to your precious humans, I will give you the entire day to find them. But if by sunset, you haven't reached where they set up camp, I take you back to my  _real_  lair, where my other guests reside, and we'll all have a grand old time together, figuring out which of you will get your bones sent back to the camp first."

Logan stood there, stock still in surprise. Was Delta serious?

"Your time starts...now!" Delta said.

Logan wasn't going to stand around and figure out if Delta was serious or not. He took off on the rock, not pausing to feel for footing. Of course, he should have anticipated this would be a problem, but he was surprised when there was suddenly no footing beneath him and he fell. The rocks hit him as he rolled and bounced down the mountain he was apparently on. He lay prone on the ground for a few seconds when he was done, stunned into complacency. But then he remembered his opportunity of escape and felt around for grass, knowing that Thomas would want to set up camp around trees if at all possible, for some shelter around the elements.

He bounded into the grass when he found it, ignoring how he was getting scratched by it at every turn. He had to get to Thomas, he absolutely had to! He couldn't think about if he was headed in the wrong direction. He just had to find Thomas as soon as possible, and save his hide.


	6. Chapter 6

Logan kept wandering the woods, yowling for Thomas. He knew that it couldn't be long before sunset, but he hadn't heard anything that remotely sounded like Thomas. He had tripped over tree roots and had his skin burn from brambles, but he was no closer to finding Thomas than when he had began. He was bruised and battered, but not quite broken, not yet. He had to hold out on the hope that Thomas would find him, hopefully before sunset, and before Delta could sedate him and drag him to wherever the stupid snake's lair was waiting.

He yowled again, hoping, praying that he wasn't too late, that the humans hadn't left and chalked up his loss to whatever arbitrary standards they had for missing pets and other animals. He stumbled, putting too much weight on a paw that had taken an particularly nasty twist. He hissed and yowled again. "Logan?!" a faint voice cried.

That was Roman! "Roman!" Logan yelled, running towards the voice. "Roman, you have to help me!"

"No, Logan, run away! Don't come any closer, run and don't look back! The humans aren't here!"

Logan slowed to a stop, dawning horror on his face. Roman had been captured by Delta too. He turned back and started to run only to come up short when his muzzle hit a familiar snake's snout. "Well, well, well. Still lost and the sun has set. Just as well, though. I don't have to drag you far at all to get to my little hideout."

Delta wrapped himself around one of Logan's legs, leaving Logan kicking and screaming and yowling at the top of his lungs while he was dragged into the open, onto hard rock once again.  _Did I really run in a giant circle?!_  he thought, berating himself.

He was whipped around into the rocks and he yowled again, facing where Delta last was and hissing. Delta laughed from his side and Logan swiped his claws in that direction, but he had no luck.

"It's no use fighting me, my dear. All you're doing is ensuring that you're going to be the first one who will be eaten."

Logan growled and hissed. "Does is matter? I'd rather go down fighting than going out listening to you!"

Delta tutted. "You're such a fighter. It's admirable, truly. But you'll have no luck," Delta said, his voice constantly moving around, and Logan trying to follow it and attack it. "I'm faster than you could ever hope to track with your ears alone."

Delta went silent and Logan turned around, unsettled by the sudden lack of a monologuing snake. "Behind you, Logan!" Roman exclaimed.

Logan didn't hesitate, whirling around, claws out to strike Delta on the snout. Delta hissed in pain. "Fool! You're ensuring your death!"

"Serves you right, you moron!" a voice that was familiar, but Logan couldn't place, called. "That's what you get for being an arrogant-"

"-Virgil! Language!" another, brighter voice chastised.

"What?! It's true!" Virgil challenged.

"Doesn't mean you should say it!" the bright voice said.

"Patton has a point, Virgil," Roman said.

_That's_  where the voices came from! They were all the other national animals from the countries that declared war on Empress Wither. He hadn't heard from them in ages, and now he supposed he knew why. Delta was gathering them all up for some revenge scheme. Logan kept his claws out, listening for any more of Delta, but he heard nothing, and the others were bickering too much to help him. Suddenly, there was a sting in his left leg and he yowled, before being flung into what felt suspiciously like a cage. "We'll see if you're sorry in the morning," Delta snarled. "I'm going to go tell the others you're all here."

Logan stood, keeping weight off his bad leg and scratching at the cage bars. they were durable, the kind that you found in a vet's kennel. Fortunately for them, Logan had been finding his way out of vet's kennels for years. "I think I can get out of the cage," he said softly, once he was sure Delta wasn't around.

"That's great!" Patton exclaimed, and Logan could almost imagine Patton's tail wagging at this development. "Do you think you could get us out as well?"

"Are they the same cages?" Logan asked.

"Indeed they are, Logan," Roman said.

"Then let's make a plan to get out of here," Logan said. "And once we know what we're doing, we'll get out here in no time."


	7. Chapter 7

The four of them talked halfway through the night about what their plans were, before they all started falling asleep. When Logan woke up, it was to the sound of a large ship in the distance blowing its horn. He leapt to his feet only to be stopped from moving any further by the cage he was being held in. He moved his head around frantically, panicking. If there were a ship here, would Thomas come to look for him? Or would he be left behind at Delta's mercy?

He could hear Delta cackling nearby. "Oh, this is too good!" he crowed. "We can crash another ship and all the people from every country will know to fear these islands once more!"

There was the sound of metal clanging and Roman shouted, "You're insane! Let us out of here and we can show you what  _real_  fear looks like!"

"Oh, no. I'm afraid I can't do that," Delta sang. "You four have a much more personal use for me and my friends, so I'm afraid you can't leave just yet."

There was more crashing from Roman and Delta laughed. "I must go see what this new ship looks like. I'll talk to you all later."

Delta started slithering away and Logan's heart pounded in his chest. He knew that it was now or never. He pawed at the latch to the cage until he heard the tell-tale  _click_  of the release and burst free from the cage, going over to where he heard Delta heading. He brought out his claws and scratched at the scales until Delta was howling in pain and slithered out of Logan's reach. He didn't have time to waste. He went over to Roman's cage and undid the latch. Roman led him to Patton's cage, and the wolf was very thankful, saying that he would keep an eye out for any adversaries while Logan worked on Virgil's confines.

Virgil's was the hardest, because being a vulture, he wasn't kept in the cages Logan was used to. But feeling around got the latch to open for him eventually, and then Roman was nudging him with his muzzle. "Come on, we have to go! We have to get to the other side of the island where the humans are!"

Logan didn't need to be told twice. "Just keep talking, I'll follow the sound of your voice!"

Roman started up a steady stream of consciousness which Logan followed through the woods. Virgil was flying over the top of the trees but still relatively low to the ground, making sure they weren't being followed. Patton was ahead of them, fighting off any of the wild animals that came too close to them. Logan was thankful that Patton could be terrifying when he wanted to be. But his entire body was aching, and he knew that he couldn't get through the entire island before the boat arrived. "Roman, you have to go ahead of me," Logan insisted quietly.

"No way!" Roman exclaimed. "I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Someone has to get to the humans and let them know we're here, and you're the fastest! Go! I'll ask Patton to held lead me!" Logan insisted.

Roman growled and said, "If we get out of this, I'm going to kill you." And then there was the sound of someone running through the underbrush and all was quiet.

"Do you want to climb on my back?" Patton asked. "That might help us move faster."

"Please," Logan said, walking forward and carefully feeling over Patton for a way on top of him.

"We've got company!" Virgil exclaimed. "Snake boy and some of his buddies are on their way, and they're not taking their time!"

"Hold on," Patton said, before starting to run full tilt through the woods.

Logan yelped and dug his claws into Patton's tangled fur, praying that he wouldn't fall off. They crashed through bushes, swung between what Logan assumed were low-hanging tree branches, and they just kept going. Eventually the ambient noise changed and Logan could feel the sun and he moved his head up. "We're in the plains," he said.

"Just short of the mountain, yeah," Patton said. "Delta had you running on the wrong side of the island to find King Thomas. He was bragging about it to us when he brought in Roman."

Logan hissed. "I hate that snake."

"You and me both!" Virgil called from overhead.

"I'll be sure to tell the boss that when we get you back," a voice said from in front of them.

Patton stopped dead in his tracks and Logan got off his back. He didn't need eyes to see this was about to get ugly.


	8. Chapter 8

Virgil was circling overhead, screaming at them to move, to do something, because the boat was almost at the island and they had to move. Logan felt the grass scratch at his legs, and could hear Patton's ragged breath next to him. He didn't know who this individual was, but they had to be a buddy of Delta's, which could only spell disaster.

Patton leaned close to Logan's ear and panted, "When I take on this guy, you have to run past us, all right? Just run for as long and as fast as you can. You need to get out of here. I've been here for weeks, one more day won't kill me."

Logan sincerely doubted the sincerity of that statement, but he didn't argue. He moved a little further away from Patton, who howled before exclaiming, "If you want him, you'll have to get through me!"

"Gladly!" the individual shouted, and then there was running and the sounds of a fight. Logan took off, running in a dead sprint over the hills leading up to the mountain. His lungs burned but he couldn't afford to stop. He could hear Delta yelling, "Where did that cat go?! Find him! And when you bring him back to me, make sure he's alive!"

There were stones hurting Logan's paws, and his body still ached from all the running and injuries he got yesterday. He couldn't move very fast, but he was moving fast enough. He could hear Virgil shouting overhead. "They're coming! They're coming! The boat is coming!"

Logan forced himself to move faster. He was surrounded by bushes and knew he was very close to the beach, by the sound of the waves approaching and people shouting. Logan let out a yowl, alerting both the humans and the others to his position. He forced himself forward, through the brush, running, running, running like he had never run before.

"Logan!" Roman shouted, and then there was a rush of wind right next to his face and the sound of a snake being bitten into.

Panting, Logan moved his head around, yowling, hoping that Thomas was here and would come over. He limped through the brush until he could feel a human hand on him. "It's Logan!" the woman yelled, and Logan recognized her voice from the boat. "King Thomas! It's Logan! But he looks like he's hurt!"

"What?!" Thomas exclaimed, and hurried footsteps came over, before the familiar hands of Thomas scratched behind his ears and gave him pats. "Hey, there you are buddy! We were looking all over for you!"

Logan yowled again and grabbed Thomas' shirt sleeve in his mouth, dragging him back in the general direction of where Roman had been fighting Delta. Thomas yelped in surprise, and then there was the sound of a sword unsheathing, and Thomas cried out. There was a hiss immediately after, and Logan could tell that Delta was slithering away through the bushes. "Good boy, Logan," Thomas said. "Roman looks like he's in pretty bad shape. Did that snake hurt you both?"

All Logan could do was purr as Thomas' hand rested against his head again.

"Logan, where's Patton?" Roman asked.

"He got in a bit of trouble back behind the mountain," Logan said. "But he should be here any moment..."

A howl could be heard, coming closer and closer until it was almost right on top of them. "Roman! Logan! I took care of that other wolf!" Patton exclaimed. "And don't worry! He won't be bothering us any time soon!"

Thomas' hand stilled on Logan's head. "Is that Patton?!" he asked. "Valerie has been looking for you for weeks, big guy, have you been here the whole time?"

"Yeah," Patton said. "Me and Virgil both."

"You do realize he can't understand you?" Logan asked Patton.

"Oh, yeah, I know. But it feels kinda rude not to answer. And besides, King Thomas gives me lots of pets when he hears me speak," Patton said.

Logan resisted the urge to scoff. "Ridiculous," he said, shaking his head.

"The boat's here, we should all probably get to it," Virgil said, swooping down and perching on Logan's back.

Roman laughed as Logan bucked around. "Get! Off! Me!" he exclaimed.

"Nope!" Virgil replied, sounding smug.

Logan's ears rang, and he staggered to one side. Everyone was asking him if he was all right, but his exhaustion took over and he collapsed to the ground.


	9. Chapter 9

Logan wasn't very aware of what happened after that. He could feel hands on him, carrying him onto the boat. Thomas was scratching behind his ears and murmuring something that he couldn't quite hear because of the ringing. Fear clutched at Logan's heart. Had the creatures examining him in the cave come back somehow? Making good on their promises? He didn't know, and it was terrifying.

Something scraped on the floor in front of him and he moved forward to lick it, discovering it was water. He couldn't remember when he had last drank something, and took long, grateful sips. Slowly, the ringing started to subside.

"Just a little dehydrated and hungry, I believe. All of his injuries appear to be superficial, save for one sprained foot, which will require rest," a woman said.

"You're the best," Thomas said to her. "Thank you."

"Make sure he has food and water nearby for the next few days and he'll be right as rain," the woman said, before walking away.

"You hear that, buddy?" Thomas asked, scratching behind his ears. "You just needed something to drink. You had us all pretty scared. What even happened out there, anyway?"

Logan flicked his tail and just continued to drink. Even if Thomas could hear him, Logan wouldn't know where to begin.

A door opened and President Terrence said, "We found Empress Wither. The snake that was attacking Roman was there, as well as a rather beaten down wolf and a bat or three. She's halfway delirious, spewing curses, but I think with time, her condition will improve and we might be able to convince her to abandon magic and join the rest of civilized society."

Logan hoped it wouldn't come to that, but didn't say anything. If he was lucky, he'd never have to deal with Delta or the Empress ever again.

"I mean, if her snake has officially gone wild, then she's been out here on her own for quite some time and will need serious help. If he was somehow helping her, or if she had cursed him with something to do this, then we have quite a bit of trouble to do with her," Thomas said. "Tell me we have a mage or two counteracting her spells."

"We do," Terrence said. "We won't have to worry about crashing again."

"Good," Thomas breathed.

"How's Logan?"

"He seems to be better as he's drinking," Thomas said. "He was disoriented from dehydration. He'll be right as rain in a bit."

"Good. Do you think it's okay if Roman visits him?" Terrence asked. "He's been pawing at my door for ages, I think he wants to make sure his friend is all right."

"Yeah, let him in," Thomas said. "I need to discuss some thing with you anyway, so we can leave them be for a bit."

Thomas walked out and less than a minute later, Roman came in. "Hello, nerd!" Roman exclaimed. "Glad to see you're alive. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," Logan grumbled, sipping more at his water. "But the vet says all I have to worry about is a sprained foot."

"I suppose Delta's venom is out of your system?" Roman asked.

"Yeah, and they didn't even need to bandage the puncture marks," Logan confirmed. "They found the Empress, and I think everyone is going to be having a council meeting discussing what to do with her."

"Ah, yes, the Dragon Witch," Roman said. "She's nasty. I hope we never have to deal with her ruling over anything again."

"You and me both," Logan sighed.

"Valerie and Joan are going to be at Starcluster Islands when we return. They already heard that Virgil and Patton were found and they're eager to talk to them again," Roman informed him. "They both want to know if you're okay. They're waiting on deck, if you think you can come up to see them?"

Logan stood, pleased to find that he wasn't dizzy. "Yeah, I can see them for a bit."

Roman laughed and led Logan around the ship, up to the top deck. "Logan!" Patton exclaimed, bounding over and licking Logan's face. Logan sputtered in surprise and Virgil just laughed from somewhere nearby Patton but to the left. "Glad to see you're okay, Logan," Virgil said. "It wasn't anything I did, was it?"

"He just needed something to drink," Roman said.

"I can speak for myself, you know," Logan snipped. "But yes, I'm feeling better."

"Great!" Patton exclaimed. "I can't wait to see Valerie again, I hope she's okay! I love her so much and it's so fun to play with her and..."

Logan let Patton's chatter wash over him. He was heading home, their escape had worked, and all he needed to worry about was whether Thomas would let him sleep on the bed with a sprained foot or not.


	10. Chapter 10

Once they were back on dry land, everyone held a council, just as anticipated. Logan, Patton, Roman, and Virgil were all relaxing in the garden while the humans discussed things on the patio. Logan was lazing around in the sun, dozing in the safety of his own home. Patton leapt over him and Logan groaned. "Patton, really? Why today?" he asked.

"Because I'm working super hard to finish getting out all my energy today!" Patton exclaimed. "Tomorrow I'll be heading back home, and I don't want to be stuck on a boat with lots of energy."

Logan hummed. "Okay, I'll allow you that."

Patton cheered and Roman laughed, and the two ran around the garden together. Virgil was sitting next to Logan. "This whole thing is crazy," he said.

"Yeah," Logan said. "It seems like the sort of thing that could only happen to us."

"Exactly like that," Virgil said. "I wonder why that is?"

Logan hummed. Roman and Patton were running around, yelling at each other and laughing. He smiled. "I don't know, but I couldn't ask for better people to have worked with. Sure, Roman can be annoying, and Patton can be over-excitable, but they're good."

"So are you. So am I," Virgil pointed out.

"Indeed," Logan hummed. "I wonder if that's the reason. Simply because we're good? We won't sit down and dish out whatever is taken to us?"

"Maybe," Virgil said. "You have any idea why the Dragon Witch might have had bats with her? I mean, I know the wolf and Delta were two of her pets before, but the bats were new. It leaves me feeling uneasy."

"With any luck, it was just because she was living in some sort of cave," Logan said. "If not, maybe she was holding them for someone else. I don't know, and right now I don't care. I just want to relax."

"I can understand that," Virgil said. "We can investigate that another day."

Logan smiled. "I look forward to it."

"Having friends isn't so bad after all, huh?" Virgil lightly teased.

"Shut up," Logan said, but he was chuckling as he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all comments appreciated!


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